


Missing Pieces

by alerus



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, LOTS OF ANGST IN THE BEGINNING!! BUT I PROMISE IT GETS BETTER, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alerus/pseuds/alerus
Summary: Callum is left broken after Rayla's departure from Katolis, to follow her parent's legacy to become a Dragon Guard. Now, two years after her departure, Rayla returns to Katolis permanently as an ambassador for the human kingdom, searching for the thing missing in her life. Will she find it?A one-shot of mending broken hearts, and a search for meaning.
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 81





	Missing Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> *this story takes place in an AU where Callum, and Rayla did not romantically get involved during their mission*
> 
> hey all, I wrote this one-shot because I was bored all day! i apologize in advance for the lack of style, or editing for that matter. it was one of those one-day one-shots that i just wanted to crank out.

The past two years had been difficult for Callum. 

Magic, which used to retain such a joyous aspect of Callum’s existence, filling his endless curiosity, now seemed devoid of its charm. Connecting to the sun primal, the last of the six primal sources should have been a time for celebration. Him, a  _ human _ , had done what the world thought was impossible, and six times over. 

Yet, during the feast that Ezran insisted on the matter, Callum merely exchanged half-hearted pleasantries with those around him, offering an occasional polite smile to those he knew. He felt awful, sulking in times of unprecedented peace and prosperity of Katolis, and he knew that Ezran was worried at Callum’s lack of interest. It pulled at his heart, knowing Ezran only wanted to help him, and cheer him up, but nothing was the same since  _ she  _ left. 

The first couple of months after  _ Rayla _ departed, Callum was surprised at the gaping hole of emptiness created inside of him. Rayla had offered to stick by the two of them in Katolis and held her word for six months. Callum yearned for those months back, for he knew he took them for granted. 

Sure, Rayla’s stay brought forth certain…  _ individuals _ who detested that an elf was as close to the king, and the prince as she was, yet even they grew accustomed to Rayla’s presence as the months went by. 

Rayla seemed content to act as Ezran’s diplomat during the multitudes of meetings of Xadian generals, and politicians. When she wasn’t aiding Ezran, she kept Callum company in his attempt at dabbing with alternate primal sources. 

Life was  _ full _ when Rayla was around. The sunsets, the stormy days forcing the two of them to be confined in the castle walls, the lunches, and dinners alongside Rayla were as enjoyable as Callum could remember. Nowadays, Callum didn’t bother to take a walk in the town during the sunset; for there was no one to accompany him. Ezran, although still just a young teenager, had important duties as the king that Callum couldn’t undermine. And even if he could take Rayla’s place, it wouldn’t be the  _ same _ . 

The dinners with Ezran, although not unenjoyable, felt strained in words Callum couldn’t begin to explain. It was as if every time he was around Ezran, he was attempting to feign his previous self -- and Ezran knew that it was an act, yet never outright called Callum out on it. 

Callum wasn’t mad at Rayla. It was the  _ dragon guard,  _ her dream ever since she was a girl. She could spend time with Zym, and follow the legacy of her parents. However, against his own conscious, during the many moments where he felt  _ lost _ , he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger at Rayla for abandoning him. 

As often as those thoughts came to Callum’s mind, he tried his best to bat them with reasoning. She did not  _ betray _ him, she merely followed her destiny. Yet, whenever he was alone with his thoughts, which was quite often, the scene of Rayla’s departure replayed in his mind. 

_ Rayla’s eyes were watery, and Callum had sworn that she wiped a tear out of her eyes as she turned away for a split second, yet he knew she would be too stubborn to admit it. Kneeling down, she gave Ezran a bear-hug, which did nothing to soothe Ezran’s own tears from cascading down his cheeks.  _

_ Wordlessly, she separated from the young king and looked towards Callum with a sorrowful expression. _

_ Attempting to combat the solemn mood, Rayla tried her best to lighten her departing words. “I guess this is it, huh?” _

_ Callum, like Rayla, wouldn’t bring himself to cry in front of the two of them. His eyes, however, were just as watery as Rayla’s, on the verge of breaking the dam that withheld his own tears. “This isn’t goodbye. We’ll write as frequently as possible, and you’ll come to visit us, and we’ll visit you.”  _

_ It was a half-baked truth. He knew the distance between the Storm Spire and Katolis, for he had journeyed there not less than a year prior. Visits would be rare, and the distance between them meant that letters would have weeks of delay.  _

_ Rayla seemed to be thinking what Callum was, for she bit her lip hard to prevent tears from escaping. With a few steps, she buried her head into Callum’s shoulder and tightened her hold on his waist. Callum, despite Rayla’s height difference, placed his hand on her hair, rubbing her head, all the meanwhile savoring the scent of her.  _

_ Before he knew it, Rayla was mounted on a horse, trotting away in the distance. The last he saw her face, was when she turned around before passing through the gate, her hand-wave signaling her goodbye, quickly followed by an attempt to wipe away her tears.  _

Callum couldn’t continue to mope in the sad memory of Rayla’s departure for too long, for a knock on his study broke his trance. “You can come in,” Callum reluctantly said, a bit agitated that he was interrupted. 

Before long, the door crept open to Ezran, with Bait in his hands. It truly was a sight to behold. Ezran wore his crown, resembling his uncanny wisdom for his age, and hugged a disgruntled Bait to his chest, reminding the world that he was still just a kid. Despite his previous thoughts regarding Rayla, Callum couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his brother. 

Ezran scrunched his nose at the sight of Callum’s disorganized study. There were sketches, upon sketches plastered alongside the wall, often pertaining to Callum’s mood during the drawing. Many of them, not surprisingly, was of a certain Moonshadow elf, in an array of different fighting stances, or simple poses. On Callum’s desk, laid dozens of books related to magic, or Xadia, littered in a careless matter. Looking at the state of the room, and back at Callum, Ezran sighed. “You need to clean this place up. And how many hours have you been here? Do you live in this room now?” Ezran challenged, his lips twisting in a slight frown. 

Callum simply shrugged. “No more than usual. Are we eating dinner earlier? I thought you had an economics lesson?”

Ezran let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, economics…” He said, looking anywhere but at Callum’s face. 

Callum frowned. “Are you skipping Opeli’s class right now? You do know how mad she gets, right?” Callum raised an eyebrow at Ezran’s shuffling feet.

Ezran straightened his posture, with a gleam in his eyes. “I have a good reason, y’know.” 

Callum’s eyes narrowed at Ezran. Something was off. He skipped his econ classes frequently, but it seemed like he was hiding something. He was also absent from breakfast, and lunch, insisting that he had something important to attend to.

Callum smirked. “Jelly tarts aren’t a good reason, Ez.” 

Ezran rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently. “It’s not jelly tarts, Callum,” Ezran said, muttering under his breath that jelly tarts weren’t even cooked on Sundays, “I need you to tell a story to the kids in Castletown in a few hours. Their original story-teller is absent, and the teacher relayed their situation to me.”

Callum squinted his eyes, skeptical of his brother’s antics. “You’re telling me a teacher, told you that they needed a replacement story-teller?”

Ezran groaned in exasperation, rolling his head back. “ _ Fine. _ I overheard a teacher talking during my…  _ stroll  _ outside the castle, and I offered your service. Are you happy?”

Callum smiled at his brother’s annoyed expression. “I don’t exactly have too many stories, what do you think I should tell them? And how old are these kids, is blood off the table?”

Ezran practically facepalmed at Callum’s reply. “Just tell them about your  _ unordinary _ trip to Xadia, returning an  _ unordinary _ pet dragon to an  _ unordinary _ queen.”

Callum scratched his chin, in contemplation. “I guess that old story will do but don’t come yelling at me if I go overboard with my allotted time. A story has to be told right!” 

Ezran simply shook his head before heading towards the door. “They will be waiting at the  _ Herbal Inn _ in around an hour.”

Before Ezran left the room, Callum pointed towards Ezran accusingly. “You just want me out of the study! This is all a ploy to get me to leave the castle!”

Ezran impishly laughed, before dashing out into the hallway, causing a startled  _ yelp _ by a few passing guards. 

__

_ - _

Rayla squinted at the faint sight of the castle in the far distance.

Rayla had at last taken Ezran’s job proposal as an official ambassador for the Katolian kingdom, to coordinate with Xadia in order to keep the established peace. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy being a dragon guard, or spending a surplus of time with Zym, but some part of her longed for the life she had before. 

During her time as a dragon guard, she felt alone. Not in the sense that no one else was around, for she had Zym, and was acquainted with the rest of the guard -- but in a more metaphorical way. It felt like there was something missing in her life, something she had in her previous travels, and time spent in Katolis that she no longer obtained. 

It had gotten so bad, that she knew she couldn’t dwell in the position she was in. As if the gears in her mind clicked, she finally decided to resign as a dragon guard, with the queen’s permission. 

Hesitantly, for the first time for many months, Rayla wrote to Ezran informing him that she would be happy to take the proposal for ambassador if he was still offering. 

Now, for the first time in nearly two years, Rayla took a step into Katolis’s Castletown. The same gate that she had departed from, stood before her as she remembered sorrowly the nature of her departure.  _ Two years _ , she thought to herself. How had Ezran… and  _ Callum  _ changed? Surely they wouldn’t be too different, for it had only been two years.

During her trek to Katolis, her mind was hyper-focused on Callum. They were close, even sparking rumors in a potential relationship when she lived in the castle. She smiled at the memory of Callum being flustered upon being questioned by a curious child on the nature of their relationship. It made sense that people and children presumed that they were together, for they were nearly inseparable. Wherever Callum was, nine times out of ten Rayla was beside him, keeping him company. Of course, it was purely platonic. There was a time during her stay in Katolis, that she saw Callum in a more…  _ intimate _ light, but she squashed the feelings down due to their risk of undermining what they had. 

Even deciding she would take the position as dragon guard, took Rayla a great deal of courage. If it wasn’t for Callum’s persistence, and calming presence when Rayla was panicking about the implications of the job, she was sure that she would have stayed in Katolis. Looking back, she felt a deep regret in choosing the dragon guard over the life she would soon have. 

Walking through the town, she absentmindedly pulled her hood up, not wanting to draw eyes at the time. It was true, that there were elves living in Katolis, and humans living in Xadia, but prejudice doesn’t erase over signatures of peace treaties. Resentment and contempt for the races would prevail for decades, if not centuries. 

Surprisingly, the town had not changed one bit. She recognized the clothing stores, and the bakery that Ezran had ingrained into her mind, upon insisting every Sunday they would visit, for during Sundays jelly tarts were not produced. The faint sight of the castle in the distance made Rayla stop, and feel a bit nauseous. 

Would Callum be mad? It was a question that Rayla had attempted to avoid contemplation on during her trek from the Storm Spire, but the proximity of their inevitable reunion made Rayla question it for the first time.  _ No, _ she thought to herself. Callum doesn’t have a bone of resentment in his body. Still, the uneasy feeling in her stomach did not waver as she continued her path towards her destination. 

When she reached the castle, two guards with spears interlocked blocked the entrance. Mustering her courage, and pushing down her nervousness, she reached into her pockets to pull out Ezran’s seal, as a way of confirmation that she had arrived. 

One guard took the letter and briefly glanced at the seal. “King Ezran had informed you would arrive today, Lady Rayla. He insisted that you meet up with him, and  _ Callum _ at the Herbalist Inn. It’s one block south of where you stand, and adjacent to the fountain. You can’t miss it.”

Rayla cringed at her title, something that she detested with every fiber in her body. Ezran must have told the guards to specifically address her by that, knowing it would tick her off. Rayla chuckled. She hadn’t even seen the young king, and he was already teasing her. 

Rayla smiled upon receiving her letter back. “Thanks. And for future reference, please don’t call me  _ Lady _ .”

The guard chuckled, reconnecting his spear with the other guard. “King Ezran insisted you would be given the title upon arrival.” 

Rayla rolled her eyes at the confirmation and turned south to head towards the inn. She thought it was a bit peculiar that Callum and Ezran would want to meet at an inn, but didn’t dwell on it for too long.

Rounding the inn, she looked through the lightly tinted windows to see tens of young kids, all sitting down staring at what seemed to be a man her age. Taking a deep breath, Rayla walked inside the inn, scanning for her friends.

-

Callum had to admit, Ezran was one clever kid. He always knew that Callum took joy in talking to kids, given his expression upon the occasional boy or girl asking their hearts away about Callum’s magic, and begging demonstrations. Callum, being the softie he was, always caved and showed his magic off to the kids. Their expressions of unadulterated wonder nourished Callum; their happiness he secretly envied. 

Telling the story of returning Zym normally felt like a chore. He must have done it hundreds of times, to the point where he asked Ezran to time his attempt at speeding his way through it. The record was two minutes, and eighteen seconds, held by Callum himself. 

However, as twenty or so kids sat before him, enamored at the story he told, Callum was more than happy in recalling his journey. He told them all of the essential events that transpired; the Cursed Caldera, the way he connected to the sky arcanum, and of course the final battle between Viren’s army, and the joint forces. 

What was especially endearing, were the kid’s questions regarding Rayla. Knowing how impressionable the kids were, Callum did his best to depict Rayla as a saint, which wasn’t entirely disingenuous. 

It was nearing the end of the story, where Callum saw a hooded figure stand outside of the inn. Distracted for a second, he suddenly heard the simultaneous groan of the kids. 

The teacher smiled but ushered the kids to stand. “I’m sorry, but your parents need you back by six! Everyone thank prince Callum for his time, for he is a very busy young man.”

One kid, however, still had his hand raised. Callum motioned towards him to ask away.

“Where is Rayla now? It seemed like you were best friends, and best friends don’t leave each other.” The kid innocently asked, his hands shoved in his pockets nervously. 

Callum, however, couldn’t help but feel the cold grasp at his insides. The oh-so-familiar pit of emptiness enveloped him, returning after Callum’s contentedness was stripped away from him. 

The teacher must have seen Callum’s pale-faced reaction, for she ushered the kids to leave the inn and head back to their school. Callum managed to wave half-heartedly at the kids, but could not change his crestfallen expression. 

As the last kid left the inn, Callum slowly followed, his eyes downcast towards the floor, not noticing the hooded stranger following his leave. He was having a better day than usual -- he bantered with Ezran and had the opportunity to spend time with the Katolian youth. Now, as it occurred so often, Callum was swept back into the monotonous, lonely way of life. Before he was going to kick the rock beside him in frustration, he heard a heavily accented voice behind him. 

“It’s rude to not answer a kid’s question,  _ Callum. _ ” 

Callum’s eyes widened. He recognized that voice any day of the week, any month of the year. It was the voice that sourced the endless teases, the full-hearted laughs, and the occasional not-so-occasional curse. It was  _ Rayla. _

He didn’t dare turn around. More often than not, he had dreams of their reunion. Some when they were old, and barely recognizable from their youth, and some like now. But, if he turned around, he would certainly be greeted with another disappointment. 

It wasn’t until he felt a  _ four-fingered  _ on his shoulder, did he suddenly turn and face the person in question. There, in front of him, stood Rayla.

She didn’t change much in the past two years, yet there were some noticeable, small changes. Now, instead of Callum being behind height-wise, the top of his head matched the top of Rayla’s horns. Her face had more definition, and her hair held two braids draped around both of her ears. 

Her eyes were glistening, and as he stared into her violet irises he immediately remembered their incomparable beauty. They gleamed in what seemed to be happiness and  _ guilt.  _ Yet, she offered a half-smile as she stared into his eyes. 

Time must have stopped, for staring into the eyes of the person he had  _ missed _ for years made him lose all sense of reality. It was only him, and her. Her soft, pink, curved lips in a grin. Her glowing, white hair that Callum yearned to touch. Her rose-tinted cheeks, contrasting with her outlandish,  _ beautiful  _ eyes. If this was a hallucination, it must have been a damn good one. 

Slowly, Callum reached his hand toward her cheek. “Rayla?” Callum asked, before grasping her side of the face gently. Upon contact with her skin, he had all the conformation that concluded:  _ this was not a dream, this is real. _

Callum immediately engulfed Rayla in a hug, tightening his grip on her back as he breathed in the scent of her hair cascaded down her neck. With the scent of her, came all the memories, and feelings associated with the memories of Rayla. It was too much to handle. Callum, with Rayla in his arms, felt something he lossed the day Rayla had left. 

It wasn’t long before Callum’s emotions got the better of him, and choked sobs were released. He knew he was violently shaking and must have been causing quite the scene in the town, yet he didn’t care. All he cared about was the girl in his arms. 

Upon feeling wet droplets against his own neck, he quickly realized that Rayla was crying as well. They both were shaking, in a complete mess, but refused to let go of each other. As if each of their bodies was needed for survival, the two never eased their grip on one another as time passed. 

It could have been tens of minutes or hours, but at last Callum and Rayla’s crying ceased, with the two’s breathing beginning to steady. Rayla had long since rested her head on Callum’s shoulder, still grasping onto his waist with an ever-tight grip. “I missed you  _ so _ much. More than you know.”

That admission caused another wave of crying from Callum, which quickly prompted Rayla to start crying again as well. Eventually, when their breaths evened out again, Callum tightened his grip on her if it was even possible, and nuzzled his head in her hair. “Promise you won’t leave me,  _ ever  _ again,” Callum said softly, his voice hoarse from his sobbing from earlier. 

Rayla circled her arms around Callum’s back and smiled into his neck. “You’re going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life, my dumb human.” 

Both of them unwillingly to part ways, a familiar pair of hands hugged both Rayla and Callum, from their sides. Looking down, Rayla saw the young king smiling between the two. “Welcome  _ home, _ Rayla.” 

It shouldn’t have been possible for her to cry anymore, but at Ezran’s sweet sentiment Rayla had to bury her head further into Callum’s neck to prevent more tears from staining her cheeks.

What the trio didn’t notice, enwrapped in each other’s embrace, was the crowd of people around them. All smiling, and warming at the sight.

Finally, the three of them pulled apart from one another and simply stared. Callum, for the first time in two years, let out a  _ smile _ . A pure, unadulterated smile that could warm even the coldest heart in the world. The smile was so large, that his eyes crinkled in a way that Ezran hadn’t seen since Rayla’s departure. At long last, Callum, the  _ real _ Callum, had returned. 

-

In the hours that followed their reunion, Rayla was in a constant state of bliss. The three of them never ceased to talk, asking as many questions as possible about their respective lives. It was as if they were attempting to make up for missed-out conversations over the two years, with the food at their table being entirely neglected in favor of conversation. 

“How long have you known Rayla was coming back?” Callum asked, downing his second glass of wine for the night. 

Ezran refused to look Callum in the eyes. “For two weeks -- but it was worth it! Was this not a welcome surprise?”

Ezran expected Callum to be agitated, or press on the subject matter, but he instead laughed for what was the hundredth time that night. “It was a wonderful surprise Ezran,” He said, glancing at Rayla and exchanging a smile. 

Ezran was astonished at the transformation Callum displayed. Not a day ago, Callum would have muttered half-ass responses at Ezran’s commentary over the table, and be reluctant to partake in meaningful conversation.  _ Rayla did this _ , Ezran thought to himself, as the two bantered with one another. 

“I s-saved your human ass more times than I can count,” Rayla said, gulping more of her wine gleefully. 

Callum’s laugh bellowed across the table. “Are you forgetting the time where I literally  _ jumped  _ off the spire? You would be a two-dimensional elf without me!”

Ezran smiled at the two. He always suspected that Callum’s mood was related to Rayla’s absence, yet he never truly confronted or asked him about it. Callum’s complete mood shift was undeniable, anecdotal evidence that Rayla meant  _ a lot _ to Callum. 

After observing yet another round of bickering between the two, Ezran’s eyes widened. They were  _ flirting _ . Now, Ezran wasn’t a love expert by any means, being only fourteen years old, but the two were certainly exchanging looks that were far more  _ intimate _ than looking at a mere friend. 

Looking once more at the two, Ezran faked a yawn, while stretching his arms. “Well, I have a meeting early tomorrow, so I’ll hit the hay!” Ezran said, soon leaving the table and heading towards his quarters.  _ Callum better thank me later _ , Ezran thought to himself. Bait looked up at him with what seemed to be annoyance. “You’ll see Bait, just you wait.”

\-----

Callum felt himself getting increasingly tipsy as the night went on, both of them refusing to leave the table, despite the late hour. They were stalling, for they didn’t want to leave each other’s company. 

Callum grinned madly, upon hearing that Rayla, as an ambassador, would be working side-by-side with Callum. “So, you’re going to be working with me, huh? Don’t think I’ll let you slack off, I won’t tolerate tardiness.” Callum feigned a serious expression, which caused Ralya to burst out laughing. No matter how many times he heard it that night, he was convinced it was his favorite sound to exist in the world. “I’m serious. Three tardies will earn you an infraction. Three infractions, and you’ll lose a vacation day. Ten infractions, and…” Callum shook his head grimly, “you’ll be fired.”

Rayla took another long swig of wine, before smirking. “Who made you the boss in this department? Surely, I would have to take charge of this. After all,  _ who _ was the leader in our mission to return Zym? Hmm?”

Callum pointed a finger towards her. “I-- Ezran was... no one was leader!” Callum let out, trying not to smile at Rayla’s smirk. 

A comfortable silence consumed the air, as the two simply basked in each other’s company. “Do you want to go for a walk? I heard that Moonshadow elves quite enjoy the moon. Would my assertion be correct, Rayla?”

Rayla got out from her chair, not before snagging the wine bottle from the table, and snorted. “Your deduction skills are one of the kind,” Rayla said, wobbling as she attempted to walk.

Before she could fall, Callum grabbed her from her side and curled his arm around her shoulder. “How quickly things change, over the years. Now, it seems like I am the one saving you from danger.” Callum puffed his chest out pridefully, which earned an eye-roll from Rayla. 

The outside was cool, but not cold. Its temperature was perfect for the clothes he and Rayla were wearing, with an occasional breeze sifting through the air. The moon, although not full, illuminated the walkways outside the castle, allowing Callum to not trip at the nearest drop-off, or bump. 

Turning towards Rayla, he saw that the moonlight illuminated her white locks, granting her an almost ethereal look as the wind blew strands of her hair back. He couldn’t help but stare at her glowing skin, and tattoos which seemed to shimmer in the otherwise dark night. Callum always admitted Rayla was pretty from an objective standard, but finally seeing her after her absence basking in the moonlight, Callum pushed whatever notion that told him it would be weird, and admitted that Rayla was  _ beautiful _ . 

She had such a huge impact on his life -- and he never truly understood until she left. Now, he would never leave her side again. He wanted to spend all his time with her, for as long as he lived. 

Callum’s brain froze. Perhaps it was the alcohol dulling his better judgment, but something  _ clicked _ in his head. Friends didn’t wallow in despair when they left, not even best friends. Sure, they would be sad without them, but not nearly to the extent that Callum had experienced. 

No, Callum’s attachment to Rayla went deeper than a mere platonic friendship. He craved her touch, her scent, and the entrancing sight of her. He  _ needed  _ to be around her, even during her six-month stay, he subconsciously always made an effort to be around her. Yet, it wasn’t just reliance, it was  _ longing _ . They understood each other better than anyone else, they opened up to one another, told their insecurities, fears, and aspirations. The only thing different from their relationship before, and a romantic one, was the intimate touching, blushing, and butterfly feelings in their stomachs that one hears about. 

But now, staring at Rayla, he noticed the shape of her lips and wondered how they felt against his. Callum’s face burned.  _ He was in love with Rayla.  _ Whether he knew it two years ago, or not, Callum was in love. It was what fueled his desire to be close to her, to relish her touch, to converse, and open up with her. 

Callum could only stare at her, mouth agape upon his realization. Rayla at that moment turned to face him, and upon seeing him staring, smiled at him. The smile, however, was a pained one. He knew it for what it was, for it was like staring into a mirror into his past-self. “Rayla, what’s the matter?” Callum asked softly, rubbing his thumb on her shoulder like he used to. 

Her eyes stared into his, as she replied, quiet as a mouse. “I shouldn’t have left.”

Callum knew Rayla’s expressions like the back of his own hand, and he could tell she was on the verge of crying. “Rayla... don’t. You had to see who you were on your own, outside of Katolis. You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.”

A single tear fell out of her eyelid, before being quickly wiped away. “Two years Callum… I abandoned you. How could you begin to forgive me?”

Callum’s own eyes started to sting as he remembered his state not a day ago. “It wasn’t easy Rayla… I-,” He gulped, “I felt awful. I didn’t know why, but every day that you were gone I felt like I was…”

“Incomplete.” Rayla finished, noticing his eyes lock on hers with a sense of understanding. 

How could she be so delusional? All those months, the concurrent feeling of loneliness, and emptiness in her life, the ‘missing piece’ in the puzzle that was her life, it was  _ Callum.  _ It had always been him, and she had failed to see it. 

For what only had been eight hours, Rayla felt more content than she had ever felt on the dragon guard. It wasn’t Katolis, the food, or even Ezran. It was Callum. 

She felt her face begin to warm as she unconsciously moved her stare towards his lips. Her old feelings of longing for romantic involvement were now roaring upon realizing the need for Callum in her life. Upon realizing it now, Rayla could conclude that it was a necessity as important as water, and air. She needed Callum in her life, and she had pushed down her feelings as a method of prolonging their friendship. Yet, she chose to leave him.

As if he could see the wheels turning in her head, Callum further embarrassed her by placing a strand of a stray piece of hair behind her ear. An act that he used to do constantly, a purely platonic sign of closeness between them, now left her ears burning with heat. 

Rayla didn’t know how long they were staring at each other, but neither one of them refused to look away. Callum’s eyes, like always, were green orbs of beauty. They always revealed Callum’s mood, whether he was angry, worried, or happy. Now, they seemed to reflect him almost  _ admiring _ something. 

Despite their proximity to one another, Callum was still too far away. Nothing seemed to sate her need for him after two years of separation. 

Rayla didn’t know her face could burn anymore, until Callum cupped her cheek, and stroked it gently with his thumb. Leaning into his touch, Rayla knew that this was love. Only love could require her need for Callum. Only love could strip away any of life’s ulterior purpose and meaning, and leave one lost, searching for answers. Only love could begin to describe what Rayla felt for Callum. 

She couldn’t take it anymore. Every second spent, not crashing her lips against his, felt like a waste of time. Rayla had already lost two years of time with her dumb, lovable human. Now, she would not make the same mistake she made two years ago. 

Rayla closed her eyes, as she moved towards Callum’s lips, placing her hand softly against his chest. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was Callum to meet her halfway. In an urgent motion, Callum crashed his lips against Rayla, and held the back of her head with his hand, moving his thumb across the base of her horn. 

Rayla felt all of her body melt at Callum’s touch. His lips were just as eager as hers, desperate to make up for their time spent apart, in any way possible. She shuddered at Callum’s slight grip on her horn, which only made her lean harder into their embrace. 

Eventually, Callum pulled away, raggedly breathing with one of the fullest smiles Rayla had seen on his face. Rayla couldn’t help but giggle in pure euphoria. The two were quick to conjoin again, their lips like magnets, needing to be together by a force beyond themselves. 

Like two halves, two pieces to a puzzle, two souls destined for each another, Rayla and Callum smiled giddily in delight as the two bumped their foreheads against one another, staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. 

At last, the two had found what they were missing in their respective lives; each other. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i really should be working on chapter 7 of my other story, but oh well. i didn't bother to edit this too much, and didn't put a whole lot of effort, but i just needed to write about it. i literally have had this idea burning in my mind for the past weeks, and have only now gotten to write it. 
> 
> anywaysssssss, love yall goodbye


End file.
